MSU lining up computers to fight virus

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

Forwarded from: Richard Caasi <caasi () gort ucsd edu>

http://www.timesrecordnews.com/trn/local_news/article/0,1891,TRN_5784_2263067,00.html

By Brye ButlerTimes 
Record News
September 16, 2003

Midwestern State University is infected.

The contagion is a nasty virus, not incapacitating students, but their
computers. Last week the virus spiked, slowing down the university's
network while likely spreading to many more of the estimated 600
computers on the Resnet.

University officials aren't sure where the virus originated or how
many computers caught it - it must be sent to someone for their
computer to be infected, said Assistant Director of Housing Matthew
Park.

But he does know this has never happened at MSU before.

Staff noticed a change in network traffic, indicating the severity of
the problem. And Monday marked the first day of the weeklong treatment
university officials hope will cure the problem for now.

"We're trying to put a lid on it," Park said. "We're scanning their
computers for viruses and uploading patches to prevent this in the
future."

Park estimated 80 percent of MSU students in campus housing own a
computer, and they will all be checked before they're allowed back on
the network. The campus computer labs don't appear infected, he said,
nor does the virus appear to be concentrated in any one area or
residence hall.

The residents received letters Friday instructing them to bring their
hard drives or laptops to their dorm lobbies; each dorm has been
designated a day, but students can drop them off at other dorms if
they choose, thus getting them back sooner, the letter says.

The first assembly line on the road to recovery was set up yesterday
morning in Pierce Hall. Housing and IT staff instructed students to
drop off their computers after labeling them with stickers while staff
hooked hard drives up to monitors and put discs in laptops to check
for viruses.

If something is detected, it is deleted. Not all will be infected,
said David Owen, Pierce residence hall director, estimating a 2 to 10
ratio. Computers can be worked on simultaneously, but each takes
anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes to scan, he said.

Meanwhile, two rectangular "to do" tables and the surrounding floor
space was filling up with hard drives and laptops more rapidly than
the "scanned and ready for pick-up" table. Staff had only been working
for an hour - would they be able to get them all done?

"I certainly hope so," Owen said, as more students came into the lobby
with their computers.

Mark Miles was one of them. Although he lives in Sunwatcher Village,
which is scheduled for Wednesday service, the public administration
student wanted his Gateway scanned as soon as possible so he could get
connected again - it's inconvenient and the computer labs are crowded,
he said.

"I'm a graduate student and a lot of my classes are online," Miles
said. "My computer is my school ... I couldn't do anything."

To ensure this doesn't happen again, Danny Reddick, director of
housing and residence life, said the university is purchasing
anti-virus software for the students, in effect inoculating the main
server a few times a day to prevent infections.

Reddick said this will combat infections long-term, as opposed to this
week's quick fix - that's not so quick. As students stop back in the
lobby, either to check and see if their computer was cured or to drop
off a possible infection, staff busily kept at the task at hand.

"We won't stop until they're all fixed," Park said.

City reporter Brye Butler can be reached at (940) 720-3461 or via
e-mail at butlerb(at)TimesRecordNews.com.



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